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DPMA bridges "missing link" in its digital services - From 1 January, DPMAdirektPro will enable electronic transmittal of official documents

Press release of 21 December 2017

Munich. The German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) has taken a decisive step forward in its digitisation strategy. The trial run of the new DPMAdirektPro e-service, which enables the electronic transmittal of office actions and the electronic delivery of decisions to the customers, will be completed by 31 December 2017. On 1 January 2018, the system will be put into regular operation. "DPMAdirektPro was, so to speak, the missing link in our digital processing chain", says DPMA President Cornelia Rudloff-Schäffer. "With this new service, we are offering a comprehensive range of legally certain and seamless e-government services, from the filing of IP applications to the processing in electronic case files to digital transmittal of official documents."

Since as early as 2003, the office has used DPMAdirekt to operate a digital mail office for applications for patents, utility models, trade marks and designs that are received electronically. For patents and utility models, processing of applications has been carried out exclusively in electronic case files since 2011 and for trade mark applications since 2015. However, decisions, office actions and other letters have so far been sent to customers in paper form. To be able to enter the letters into their respective processing systems, the companies and law firms had to scan them first. DPMAdirektPro now makes electronic transmittal available. From now on, the office and its customers can manage their case files completely electronically. "By adding DPMAdirektPro to our e-services, we further raise the profile of our office as a digital service provider", emphasises Cornelia Rudloff-Schäffer.

The pilot trial of DPMAdirektPro has been running since April 2017. For this pilot, selected customers received a software update of the previous DPMAdirekt system. In the test phase of several months, the new IT application has proved to be technically fully operative, robust, easy to use and user-friendly.

In order to participate in DPMAdirektPro, the customers must register for electronic document transmittal. They will then receive a PIN to activate the additional functions of the software. The previous participants do not have to take any further action but can continue to work with the system as usual. From now on, all customers will be able to use the service not only for new applications but also for existing case files, if they so wish, by making a request with the DPMA. Of course, they also have the choice to continue to use the traditional paper route of transmittal for individual or all case files. "The customers’ needs are always crucial. They will inform us for which case files they wish to receive the reply in electronic or paper form", says the DPMA President.

The German Patent and Trade Mark Office

Inventiveness and creativity need effective protection. The DPMA is the German centre of expertise for all intellectual property rights - for patents, utility models, trade marks and registered designs. As the largest national patent office in Europe and the fifth largest national patent office in the world, it is committed to Germany’s future as a country of inventors in a globalised economy. Its roughly 2,600 staff based at three locations – Munich, Jena and Berlin – are service providers for inventors and companies. They implement the innovation strategies of the Federal administration and develop national, European and international IP systems further.

Last updated: 5 November 2024